Chapter 37
'A Rest Well Earned'
It had been a long, exhausting, painful, bloody and seemingly endless day... and now, finally… it seemed so much brighter, both in the figurative and physical sense.
The bad guys were beaten. The city was saved. Lives were reunited.
And now that the worst of the cyclonic superstorm had passed, Zootopia's highly advanced climate control systems were working overtime to dissipate what remained, and bring the city back to its usually sectored climatic equilibrium…
The rain still spat down lightly with tiny infrequent drips, as opposed to the fierce downpour it was earlier. It was a pleasant rain now. The wind had died down to a soft breeze… still enough to ruffle the fur, but not enough to be unpleasant. While in the sky above, the thick grey clouds began to slowly rip apart, where several heavenly hazy beams of light began to seep through as the sun returned to bathe the city in its warm and glorious shine.
Ever so slowly, everything was simply returning to normal…
Or, at least as normal as 'normal' gets in the city where anyone can be anything.
They had no idea how long they had continued to lay there, atop of the improvised gauze bedding underneath their makeshift metal shelter…
It could have been forever for all they cared, as the Fox and Rabbit just lay there in each other's loving embrace, taking no notice of their company, or the world around them… because all they needed was the other to have their world. After such a continuously dangerous and deadly experience for the last few hours, all Nick and Judy wanted was to be there with each other, with no interruptions or perils. Just… to be within the presence of the mammal they loved.
Of course, not every loving embrace can last forever, although there was always another waiting to be had. After some time, the Rabbit retreated from her Fox as he let her pull back, the two of them going back to staring adoringly into each other's eyes.
Judy just couldn't stop smiling. A warm and wide smile of love, aligned with shimmering and semi-watering eyes; a combined expression of both contented happiness and joyous relief that she finally had Nick back, and wouldn't let him go again.
Nick was sure he'd seen this image of her before in something that felt like a dream. He couldn't rightly remember where from, but he was sure he had seen this before, at least in some form of his sub-conscious:
A grey and fuzzy image, with a slight shimmer of purple- a pair of amethyst gems, staring at him with the warmest and most comforting gaze, accompanied by the most loving of smiles...
He was definitely sure he had seen Judy like this before-
And then the memory suddenly flashed to him:
His earlier near-death experience, after being blasted out the window of the apartment complex by his own grenade, much earlier today. It somehow felt like the event was almost a year ago… and what he remembered too, was that it was the promise of seeing the silky grey fur and luminous purple eyes of this Rabbit again that had encouraged him to push deaths grasp away from him and carry on fighting, just so he could see her at least once more…
And now here she was… in reality.
It filled Nick with such a warm feeling of happiness. He couldn't recall a time that he had been so happy in his life, now that he was reunited with his favourite Bunny, and his favourite mammal altogether, as he simply gazed at her, with her gazing back at him in exactly the same way…
Nick maintained his usual snarky smirk: the facial expression that made Nick who he was, the one he knew Judy had fell for. Except… with one simple change, he transformed his smirk into something completely different, by simply and effortlessly closing his lips, no longer showing his teeth with his smile.
It didn't go unnoticed by Judy. In the mere millisecond, Nick's smile now had a completely different tone to it. It was no longer a sly smirk, but an adoring smile that matched her own, coupled with the gleaming green iris and dilated pupil of his handsome eyes. Just the look Nick gave her made Judy's heart flutter, but it was the fact it was an expression of his she'd never seen before that told her without need for words how much she meant to him.
It just filled Judy with more of that a soothing warm feeling that completely conflicted and annihilated the woe and sorrow she had felt only minutes before, thinking that Nick had left her forever…
With that thought grazing her mind again, Judy couldn't contain herself anymore… as she suddenly let out a little whine and simply collapsed down to hug the Fox tighter.
It forced Nick to let out a little 'eep', following which he spoke humorously with his hoarse voice;
"Easy Carrots… I'm still hurting pretty bad you know,"
"I know, I'm sorry… I'm just-" Judy sighed heavily as she let him go and leaned up, going back to staring at her Fox with a tender gaze, "I… I really thought I'd lost you there… and I-"
"Hey…" Nick gently grabbed her paw that was currently placed on his left shoulder, "You didn't lose me Fluff…" he assured her, "besides, it's gonna take more than a few bullets to kill this sly Fox-"
"Well strictly speaking Wilde," a booming voice interrupted, "you were already dead for a few moments there,"
Slightly stunned from the sudden input, Nick turned his head on the ground to see the culprit, as Judy lifted hers and did the same, both of them landing their eyes on the Cape Buffalo that was their Commanding Officer, as well as the silent White Wolf beside him that instantly reminded Judy that she and Nick weren't alone…
"Oh! Heeyyy!" Nick managed to raise his hoarse voice nervously but keeping a humorous tone as he turned back to Judy, "Carrots, our boss is here…"
"Don't sound so surprised Wilde," Bogo huffed wittily.
"No... It's just," Nick looked at him again, still keeping his humorous tone, "where the hell were you earlier when we needed you?" he challenged.
"Better late than never…" the Buffalo answered, "as you would say, considering all the times you've been late to your briefings, as well as your fairly pitiful excuses,"
"I swear, the time my alarm clock burst into flames really did happen," Nick insisted with a sly smile.
A sudden snigger came from the Wolf next to Bogo, having reminded Fang of the time Nick trudged late into morning briefing with a bandage around his right paw. It was one of those, 'you had to be there' moments, because Fang knew he couldn't possibly explain to anyone how or what exactly happened or what was said, only that the to-and-fro between Nick and Bogo was beyond hilarious… and no-one, not even Judy, ever did find out if Nick was actually being serious…
In the present however, Fang's snigger forced Bogo to give him a hard glare, seeing only when he felt the stare on him that he turned to look at his boss, and then swiftly looked away, coughing before mumbling out;
"Sorry,"
The Wolf then instantly turned to the Fox, asking frankly;
"How do you feel Nick?"
The answer hung for a moment as Nick comprehended the question, quickly glancing at Judy with his warm smile again on his muzzle…
Mentally, he was elated.
Physically however-
"Urrgh," Nick groaned and cringed after barely inching from his position, "Like I've been trampled on by a pack of rhinos,"
"Crash, Nick," Judy corrected innocently, yet in a matter-of-factly way, "A group of rhinos is called a crash,"
"She's right," Bogo added, not as innocently as the Rabbit did.
"You, you… you…" Nick uttered glancing back at Judy, trying to rake his mind for something witty to say back, only to come to a blank, as he sighed instead, saying mischievously; "Conscious again for barely five minutes and you're already one-upping me,"
"It's not one-upping if I'm right," Judy replied, feeling only just a little guilty as she put on a smirk.
"Hmm," the Fox flashed his eyebrows, going back to his tender gaze, "You were definitely right about one thing though,"
"What?" Judy asked, tilting her head.
"Getting shot does ruddy well hurt…" Nick sniggered.
"Nick…" Judy drawled with an adoring whine, as she leaned down to hug him again, "I did warn you earlier,"
"I know, I know…" Nick drawled too, soothing the Bunny's worries with a short stroke of her undamaged ear.
After the short hug when Judy finally let him go again, Nick attempted to shuffle on the ground, preparing to at least lean himself up to speak to his companions properly. Only, the movement put such a strain on his exhausted muscles, and flipped the pain switches back onto his many injuries, forcing him to again growl in anguish.
"Nick, take it easy," Judy insisted, gently placing her paw on his shoulder, "Probably a good idea if you don't move for a while,"
"Yea, Chief wasn't kidding when he said you were dead for a few moments there," Fang added.
"Alright," Nick agreed, "But err... If I was…" he gulped at the information, "Gone… how did you, bring me back?"
There wasn't an immediate response as Nick looked between the three mammals present around him, who were currently glancing between each other, waiting for either one to answer the question instead…
And then, Nick slowly looked sideways to see the obvious evidence. The empty canister of a mutilated inhaler, with some residual blue liquid inside. The empty and used syringe, also with some residual blue liquid inside, and the little pin prick in his arm;
"Oh… you are kidding me, right?"
"Hey… you're alive aren't you?" Fang answered, attempting to quell the Fox's worry.
"Yea… but," Nick spluttered, "did you even think about any side effects, or anything!? What if I- I don't wanna go savage!"
"You aren't showing any signs, and believe me, I know what they are," Fang assured, "Plus, it's only the performance enhancer drug, not the real bad stuff-"
"It still comes from the same plant Fang!"
"Nick, we did it to save you…" Judy added on, the tone of her voice soft and reassuring, "had we had any other alternative we wouldn't have done it, but we tried everything and-" Judy abruptly stopped as she felt like her tear duct dams were about to break again, "Like I said… I really thought I had lost you back there… I- I'd have done anything…"
The tender yet worried gaze Judy gave him subdued Nick's worry, as he could almost see the sorrow she was in minutes before with the expression she had on-
"Look Wilde, just be glad it worked in the first place," Bogo piled on to get the point across, "Had it not, we definitely wouldn't be having this conversation. Furthermore, if you did turn savage, I hardly think you'd be much of a threat with the condition you're in… but, we will be keeping an eye on you for any… unwanted side effects,"
True as Bogo's words were, they sounded more like an order to Nick with the tone the Buffalo had said them: Stop worrying, you are alive, and be glad you're still alive.
And Nick couldn't deny that. He was alive… and right now, that was all that mattered. Only, the thought then just hit his mind that he had in fact been, dead. Even if it was for a few minutes… he had been gone. That wasn't any sort of simple information to take in for anyone. The fact resonated through Nick's mind, repeating itself; a feeling of panic developing inside him at the threat to his mortality. He didn't show it on the outside, but Nick felt like he was about to have a mental breakdown, right then and there on the spot-
But the simple change of his attention quickly quelled the feeling, as he glanced again at Judy, taking in the sight of her warm smile and glistening eyes. Except then, the crueller chasms in the depths of his mind then transformed that thought he had just repressed, as it occurred to him what it would have done to Judy if he had died. The thought of leaving her- leaving her heartbroken… it crushed Nick more than the realisation of his own death.
Nick then started to think even more… what if it had been the other way round? What if Judy was the one laying here dying and he couldn't save her? The thought was so horrific he couldn't imagine it- he couldn't bear it, and it struck his mind again that that is what Judy had just been through. It just made Nick want to hold her tightly and never let go…
But for now, a simple held paw would have to suffice; it's all Nick could manage until the inevitable time he had to force himself to move… but it was more than enough, as he lifted his left paw to cup Judy's right within it tightly and tenderly, and they maintained their loving gaze between each other.
At least, until a very familiar noise to them began to emanate from the distance:
The blaring whine of police sirens.
Bogo spun his head round to see the origin, as Nick, Judy and Fang only slowly turned their heads… where sure enough, still a long way down the bridge, the sight of flashing red and blues atop of several vehicles lit up the roadway.
"Well, it's about bloody time…" Bogo grumbled, though with the slightest hint of humour to his voice.
The comment earned a couple of chuckles from the three other mammals present on the clear irony of the situation: help now coming when it was no longer needed.
"Better late than never," Nick quietly quipped, "right Chief?"
Bogo just shook his head…
"What do you want us to do now sir," Judy asked, ever keeping to her professionalism.
"For your three, rest for the weary," he ordered, looking between the Wolf, Rabbit and Fox as he stood up and towered above all three of them, "You've all done more than enough today. As soon as the ambulance arrives I want all three of you in it. Get to hospital. Get cleaned up. Get fixed up. And get a well-earned rest for as long as you need it…"
"And yourself sir," Judy added.
"Not me Hopps, I've have all your mess to clean up and more after this," the stoic Buffalo responded "besides," he gestured to his oozing red injuries, "these are but scratches. I've had worse… But in your cases, I've never seen you so beaten up-"
"You should see the other guys, sir," Fang interrupted with a pun, earning a chuckle from Nick.
"I have no doubts, Fangmeyer," Bogo responded monotonically, "Although I can say honestly, I'm glad to see you all still at least in one piece…"
"Alight Chief, we get it, you really do care about us," Nick jested, "so you can drop the show now… just please, go back to being Robo-Bogo,"
Bogo let out an amused huff. Being his usual stoic and emotionless self, and putting efficiency above everything else in the job had earned him this nickname from the Fox. Bogo let it slide compared to some of Nick's other quips about him, simply due to the accurate wittiness behind the name… plus, it just rolled off the tongue because it rhymed. And most importantly, which Bogo would deny to the death before telling Nick the truth that he actually liked the nickname…
"You're right Wilde… I do care about you all," the Buffalo finally answered, before turning strict, "But if either of you tell anyone, I will find out, and you'll all be on parking duty for three months following your recovery, and after filling out your After Action Reports and other paperwork, down to the very last detail, of course,"
"There he is!" Nick cheered, with a big grin.
Bogo simply glared at him, silencing the Fox in the instant as Nick took the que to act professionally again;
"Yes sir," he managed a small nod, and finished with a smile, "and… thanks,"
"Pleasure's mine," Bogo responded, forming one of those genuine smiles of his that needed no words, telling all three, Nick, Judy and Fang as he looked between them that he was both impressed and proud of them, having gone above and beyond the call of duty for the sake of the city they had sworn to protect.
The Buffalo retained the gesture until he turned to walk away, and the look of praise was wiped from Bogo's muzzle, replaced now with one of disdain as he glared hard at his destination, and while in the distance the sound of sirens were getting louder.
Nick, Judy and Fang remained quiet as they watched Bogo walk away, noticing where he was heading to. After all…
There was still some unfinished business to attend to.
And that business, was only a short walk away.
Since being left there by the Buffalo who had beaten him, the Panther had remained unmoved where he lay on the cold tarmac of the bridge, still huddled beside the lifeless canine form of his wife, waiting patiently for the moment he would join her in the next life when everything they had worked for finally came to fruition…
Only, that moment never came for him.
Roan experienced the effects of the blast like all the other mammals on the bridge… except while his enemies rejoiced in their survival, he was lying silently in sorrow, having realised he had been spared from death and was now not only wallowing in the grief of his failure, but also, the grief of his loss. He had been ready to face the end- to die, having lost his beloved to it already just to be with her again, but the world had seemed fit to deny him that.
He would seek revenge if he could… vengeance against those who had taken his victory and the love of his life away from him. But he had no strength left to wield against them, or any time to prepare…
He could hear the sirens approaching too, as well as the heavy hoofsteps of the approaching Cape Buffalo thumping through the ground, coming back to finish him off.
Roan slowly forced his eyes open and strained himself to just barely lift his head from the ground to turn and glance at the imposing form of Chief Bogo. For a single second he held the scorching stare of hatred as the Buffalo approached him, wishing for the bovine's destruction…
But only a wish it remained. Bogo was in a far better condition than he was, even if Roan had left several bloody marks on him… it did better than anything else to show Roan the evermore realisation that he had been bested and beaten, and there was nothing left he could do, and was now at the mercy of the Buffalo.
With that realisation, Roan broke his glare, and turned away as soon as Bogo stopped, now towering above the Panther triumphantly.
"If you've come to gloat… save your breath," Roan scorned with a mumble.
"Now, where would be the fun in that?" Bogo gruffly mocked, "Seems even the best laid plans can still fall through to failure,"
"You mean the plans I had to hastily make this very morning?" Roan retorted, "I think all things considered, I've done quite well… regardless of my failure-"
"That's a novel way of looking at things," Bogo interrupted, "considering what you've lost,"
"Remind me Chief… how many officers down are you?" the Panther snapped.
"Too many. Like I said before," Bogo coldly answered, "But unlike your mob of miscreants, they've been avenged and honoured today, and will be remembered. Whereas your followers, when they're put in the ground… No-one will remember them."
The words stung like white hot needles. Roan seethed with rage behind his blank facial expression. If he had the strength to call upon, he would have lashed out with that rage. But he'd already conceded defeat, and knew if he did, a single simple punch from the Buffalo would easily put him back in his place.
Instead, Roan sighed silently;
"What do you want Bogo?" he asked, "You've already won. You've already had my leg, my arm and my paw… my wife…" he paused for a moment, putting on an emotionless face to hide his grief in front of his victorious enemy, and swiftly continued, "What more could you take from me?"
"How about your life?"
Roan's fur stood on end at the threat behind the words, becoming alert and uneasy when he saw Bogo reach for his holster and slowly pulled out his Model .500 Magnum;
"I meant what I said when the last mammal to die today would be you…" Bogo said.
"Killing an unarmed and injured adversary that's already conceded defeat?" Roan queried snidely, "Surely that's against the law Chief…"
"You forget Roan… in this city," Bogo paused to raise his weapon, aiming directly at Roan's head, forcing the Panther to stare down the barrel, "I am the law,"
"And here I was thinking I was supposed to be the deluded megalomaniac," Roan scorned.
"And yet, I'm the one still standing…" Bogo huffed, "Now…" a loud click came from the handcannon when Bogo pulled back the hammer, priming to fire, "…do you want me to put you out of your misery?"
Roan looked up, staring past the large weapon barrel aimed at him to glare directly at the Buffalo's face;
"You're bluffing,"
"Are you certain?"
Roan didn't answer.
"Me neither…" Bogo stated, "Because I only have five rounds in this thing. Now, I know what you're thinking: 'Has he fired five shots or only four?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all the excitement of the day I've kind of lost track. But being as this is a .500 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would easily split your head in two, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? … Well, do ya, punk?"
…
The two mammals just continued to glare, both with eyes filled with hate and maliciousness, but both with completely blank expressions, contemplating what the other was thinking… except, it was completely impossible to tell…
But Roan was determined to call Bogo's bluff;
"Then do it."
Bogo raised an eyebrow, but the rest of his face remained emotionless, as he simply replied;
"Suit yourself,"
He strengthened his stance, preparing to for the weapon's violent recoil as he extended his arm and affirmed his aim at the Panther's head… right between his malevolent eyes.
Roan didn't look at the weapon, but simple retained his glare, sure that the Buffalo wouldn't go through with his threat. A smirk started to form on his muzzle when he noticed Bogo was stalling with empty seconds ticking by… but what he also noticed, was Bogo's expression hadn't changed at all.
Roan glanced at the huge gun barrel that was aimed at him. He was so close to it, he could actually see the bovine's hoof begin to contract over the trigger to pull it, and fire the bullet that would end his life.
It suddenly dawned in his mind that Bogo wasn't bluffing…
And so, Roan snapped his eyes shut, preparing himself for the coming end as he could actually hear the weapon's trigger being pulled with a click-
Roan flinched away…
Until he realised, that single click was the sound of a gun trying to fire an empty casing.
Roan only reopened his eyes once he heard an amused huff and chuckle permeate his hearing, coming from the imposing bovine standing above him. He slowly looked up, forming a frown, and supressing a frustrated growl as he saw the smirk blatantly plastered across Bogo's muzzle, as the bovine slowly lowered his gun;
"Na…" Bogo uttered as he now re-holstered his very empty firearm, "Death is far too simple a punishment for you anyway," he paused again as he crouched down, speaking directly to the beaten and bloodied Panther, "I think throwing you in solitary, in maximum security prison for the rest of your life, knowing you lost everything you ever worked for and everything you ever loved, and leaving you to grieve in your loss until the day old age kills you… is a far more fitting punishment for a psychopathic, suicidal fanatic like you."
"No…" Roan growled silently to himself, knowing what was coming next…
As behind him, the Police sirens that had been steadily getting louder finally silenced, replaced by the sound of chugging combustion engines as the several armoured police vehicles pulled up and parked, each one emptying with fully armed police officers.
Roan hung his head while Bogo gave the group of officers a quick glance as they approached, before turning back to the crippled Panther…
Despite being Chief of Police, Bogo was always prepared to make an arrest personally, and so, he reached for his utility belt, and grabbed hold of a fresh pair of paw-cuffs, before forcing the Panther up to his knees, saying;
"Roan Fyodorov, You have the right to remain silent." Bogo placed the first strand of the cuffs firmly around Roan's right wrist, and locked it firm, "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Bogo then placed the second strand of the cuffs firmly around Roan's left wrist, and locked it firm, "You have the right to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you." Bogo then forced Roan up to his feet, inciting a rasping growl from him from the pain in his broken leg, "Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?"
…
Roan simply turned his head and glared at the Buffalo… but didn't say a word;
"I didn't think so," Bogo grunted, before gently nudging the Panther, forcing Roan to fall back down to his knees and stirring an angered and painful snarl from him as he fell completely forwards with his bloody paws now bound together within the cuffs.
Bogo simply stared at him, a combined expression still of anger, but also of satisfaction of seeing what was before today, the most dangerous mammal in Zootopia, was now a whimpering wreck at his foot-hoofs, and bound in restraints-
"Sir!" a familiar voice called out.
Bogo turned to see the origin, noticing the tactical gear clad Hippo approaching that he recognised as his trusty Lieutenant, Gregory Higgins;
"Higgins! Took your bloody time," Bogo greeted with his usual commanding tone, "Where's that ambulance I requested?"
"Just a minute or two behind us sir…" the Hippo responded, "You're aware half the roads are flooded from that storm we just had?"
"I thought as much," Bogo mumbled quietly.
"We've already secured the bridge on the mainland side as we passed, and other teams have closed off the majority of The Loop,"
"Good, get a team to close off the other end of the bridge, and secure the area," Bogo ordered, "and most importantly," he then gestured to the arrested Panther on the floor, and said with clear disdain, "Get this waste of fur out of my sight,"
"To… hospital, sir?" Higgins questioned unsurely.
The question actually took Bogo by some surprise… until he turned again and examined the Panther. The feline was in a particularly poor state, and despite already being guilty in Bogo's belief, nor did he feel he deserved it, Roan did require medical attention before going to prison for good.
"Unfortunately, yes… if you must," Bogo finally answered with a gruff tone, "but I want armed officers on him at all times! Five at the least, and complete restraints on him, also, at all times," he glanced at the Panther with a glare, "He might be crippled, but remember… he's a cop killer, so do not be gentle with him…"
Higgins nodded firmly, before gesturing two other armed officers to assist him in moving the Panther to one of their vehicles.
"On your feet you," the Hippo sternly demanded as he forced Roan up to his feet, another growl of pain escaping from the feline from being forced onto his broken leg…
Nick, Judy and Fang all watched silently as they saw Roan being taken away. Nick was now managing to lean up with Judy's help, so he could get a clear view of the moment, as Judy knew he wouldn't want to miss it.
The expression on each of their muzzles was one that could easily be described as smug as they watched Bogo arrest the Panther, and now they watched with the same expressions as he was taken away by Higgins, glad that now the nightmare of this day was finally over for good.
Before they completely lost sight of him however, the three of them saw Roan glare in their direction. It didn't last long, but lasted long enough to give the Panther a fitting send-off:
Judy simply kept her smug smile on, whilst narrowing her eyes to give a scathing glare.
While Nick subtly made a sly wink, along with a humorously snide smile…
But Fang wasn't as subtle; whilst still putting on the same snide smile as his companions, he went one step further with a simple paw gesture. He began by making a sardonic two finger salute to the Panther, before slowly and thoroughly transforming the salute into something else, as he flipped his paw over and extended his middle finger…
He, Judy and Nick, could almost see the rasping growl of frustration leave the Panther's bloody maw, until he was finally out of their sight, forced into one of the armoured police vehicles, which barely a few moments later, turned around and drove off, with another as escort.
…
"Where d'you suppose he'll end up?" Judy asked openly.
"With his rap-sheet, probably Dewclaw Island… though I think even that place is too good for him," Fang answered, still looking down the bridge, "But being the dedicated supermax prison for dangerous predators only, I can't think of anywhere else…" he turned to the Fox and the Rabbit, "All we know is that we won't be seeing him again,"
"Good riddance," Nick remarked calmly.
The three of them remained silent for now as they watched everything going on around them. As well as seeing another set of flashing red and blues and sirens approaching that must be the ambulance, they could hear Bogo's booming voice ordering around all the Officers that had arrived on the scene…
There was a long list he was bellowing out, among which were the tasks of calling in clean-up crews to remove the debris of the two crashed vehicles and take them for scrap as they were completely unsalvageable. Also, notifying traffic officials to close off the damaged bridge and the section of the highway, and then leave the job up to them to get structural engineers in to assess the damage. But the most important task of all on the list was to get a biohazard team in to take away the fifty odd canisters of Nighthowler gas that still remained on the bridge, and to have them, and their toxic contents destroyed.
As they silently recollected on the events of the day, Nick, Judy and Fang couldn't deny that they had made quite the mess for Bogo to clean up. Of course, it wasn't all made by them or entirely their fault, and was for sure a lot less damage to the city and its citizens than what would have occurred if they had failed.
But they hadn't failed. They had won. And now it was over.
Now they could each go rest and relax… a well-earned one at that, just like Bogo had told them, even though they would most likely be spending it in hospital for a few days, or even weeks, with the state of some of their injuries.
For now though, the three heroic mammals just sat there, calmly and quietly on the bridge… although at some point, sooner rather than later, Fang felt he should let the Fox and Rabbit have their privacy for the moment, as with a quick glance behind him, he saw the two of them cuddling with each other. It made a warm smile appear on his muzzle, and reminded him that he would sure enough get to have his own loving embrace with the mammal he loved when he and Catherine would be reunited soon.
As for Nick and Judy, after their scares of the day, the two of them were practically inseparable, huddled together in each other's embrace, side by side. In the moments that passed, Nick hadn't even realised his tail had involuntarily moved to wrap itself behind Judy until she started to stroke it, sending a tingle up his spine. Even with wet fur, the sensation was peaceful, causing Nick to act instinctively, not realising that he had begun to gently hum and started to nuzzle into the fur on Judy's neck as a way of showing his love and gratitude.
"Nick…" Judy drawled embarrassingly, but still with a clear tone of happiness in her voice.
"Sorry," Nick uttered warmly, pulling himself away to gaze at her, "It's just… you saved my life… again,"
Judy let the words hang for a moment, remembering the time she had first saved Nick's life... a long time ago from before he was a cop, during those forty-eight hours that had brought them together. There had been other times since, including the inverse where Nick had returned the favour… but this time, Judy hadn't been alone in the act;
"Actually," she began, turning on the spot to speak to Nick directly, intending to tell him who he should really be thanking, "it was John's idea to use the serum that saved you… I just helped,"
"Huh… Really?" Nick wondered.
He and Judy turned to look at the Wolf, seeing how his ears had perked up straight at hearing his name, and was now looking back in their direction;
"I'd still say it was a team effort overall…" Fang responded, and continued awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, "But yea… just, call it returning the favour… you know? After all the times you saved my tail today,"
"Guess we can call us even then, right?" Nick queried with a grin.
"I still think I might owe you another… but who's counting?" Fang jested.
Nick chuckled a little before putting on a genuinely thankful smile, speaking to the Wolf directly; "Thanks buddy,"
"Don't mention it…" Fang smiled warmly, until it turned mischievous, as he paused and leaned forward, eyes darting between both the Fox and the Bunny with that smug smile across his muzzle when he continued, saying, "But if it's all the same to you…" he winked, "I ain't gonna kiss you,"
"Heh… don't know what you're missing buddy," Nick joked with a smirk.
"I'll still think I'll pass," the Wolf smirked, now slowly making himself stand up, "saving all mine up for a certain Snow Leopard anyway. But for now… I think I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, shall I?"
And with that, and one last grateful smile between the trio… it became a duo, as Fang limped off towards Bogo and the rabble of other Officers, and giving Nick and Judy some debateable privacy before the ambulance arrived.
Nick and Judy watched Fang walk off as he left them alone, seeing him stop as he stood next to Bogo. It appeared that the two of them began to converse, as not long after Nick and Judy noticed Bogo briefly glance behind him in their direction with a content smirk before quickly looking away…
Nick couldn't care less what was said between them. All he knew was that he owed that Wolf his life, even if he considered them even now. He noted down in his head to buy Fang a drink someday… it was the least he could do to thank him.
But for now, Nick had finally got what he had wanted this entire day… even if it wasn't in the best place possible, nor was it the most romantic place possible. All that mattered is Judy was beside him, and they were alone to do as they wished, even if it was just for a minute or two.
After looking down the bridge to see their ride out of here still making its way, Nick turned to the fluff of warmth he could feel next to him…
Judy was looking up at him, now with a smug grin… that one she wore when she was only being as sly as he was.
Nick thought that clearly he had been rubbing off on her more than he ever realised.
"So…" Judy began, corner of her mouth turning up as her grin grew wider; "… you love me?"
"Really?" Nick questioned innocently, but with the signs of his own smug grin appearing, "I don't recall saying that,"
Judy narrowed her eyes, knowing what her partner was up to, and quite confidently accepted the challenge as the two of them willingly entered into a session of playful banter;
"You really playing it like that, huh Slick?"
"Hey… it's my word against yours, Fluff" Nick countered.
"Actually, it's your word against yours…" Judy boasted, immediately pulling out the big guns as she suddenly held up her carrot pen, displaying it for Nick to see, "Because… I have a whole signed confession, right here, and I don't think I need to run this recording through voice recognition to know it's you, Nick,"
Nick knew he was already beaten there with that fact, but he wasn't going to let Judy win so easily. He went on the offensive;
"So what If I did?" he smarmed, "I don't need to ask, because I know you love me,"
The statement caught Judy slightly off-guard. It wasn't the usual thing he would say: 'You know you love me'. No… it was different. Rather than reciprocating, Judy decided to tread cautiously;
"How could you know for sure?" she probed.
Nick leaned down to her, and with a confident whisper in her ear, he answered;
"Because I heard you say it,"
Judy pulled away, her brow unlevelled in confusion as she looked at the Fox curiously;
"How could you hear that?" she questioned, and paused as she gulped at the use of the word she was about to say, "you were pretty much… dead,"
"Well," Nick began in a matter-of-factly way, "that seems awfully dismissive considering you don't know what happens when you die…"
"Then…" Judy pondered, hitting the pause button on their playful banter when she realised that Nick had indeed gone to the other side and come back, whatever it was like. Her curiosity peaked, not being able to keep the question from coming out; "What does happen?"
"Story for another time Carrots," Nick soothed with a warm smile, gently moving his paw to stroke Judy's uninjured ear, "But thanks,"
"For what?"
"For proving my point," Nick finished with a throaty chuckle, only making him chuckle some more when Judy rolled her eyes and looked away blushingly, the Bunny having graciously fallen for his little hustle, as she murmured out a question;
"Did you really mean that? That you could hear me?"
"Ehh, like I said, story for another time," Nick responded, a little unsurely, "For now though, just call it a wild guess," he finished as he then briefly nuzzled the top Judy's head, gently ruffling the fur between her ears.
She huffed amusedly at his words, and then began to hum at his loving gesture. She knew Nick still had something to tell, but respected his decision to tell her another time as it was something he didn't want to say right now… she could only wonder what it was. But for now, Judy simply looked up at him when he pulled away, seeing that usual smirk across his muzzle.
It took her a moment to realise he was staring at her head, trying to hold back a laugh… and that's when Judy could feel the ruffling of her wet fur had caused a tuft of it to stand on end to Nick's obvious amusement. With a mildly irritated glare at her sniggering Fox, Judy lifted her paw to flatten her fur, and the words just kind of slipped out;
"Sly Fox…"
"Dumb Bunny," Nick whispered playfully through his sniggering.
"Har-har," Judy conceded heartily, "But, that doesn't change the fact that you do love me,"
…
"Yea… I guess I do," Nick admitted…
Quite plainly and openly that it somehow caught Judy off guard. It gave Nick some more amusement when he saw her fluster and quiver for a moment on the spot. A second later, Judy's ears perked up high as her eyes lit up even brighter than they already were at the words, and her adoring smile broadened across her muzzle.
However, despite Judy's reassuring reaction, Nick was still unsure about several things, and if he didn't let them all out right then and there, he knew he might never do it;
"It's weird, right?-" he began doubtfully, looking down and away from the Bunny before him, "I mean, I know we hang out a lot, we know a lot about each other and all that. But predator-prey couples don't tend to work out… that's just a fact, and I doubt Bogo will let us keep being partners on the Force if we're a couple, and…" he paused as he let out a sigh, "Judy, I think I'd feel confident in saying that you are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I just don't want to do something stupid and have it end up being weird between us! An-"
A single digit of a fluffy grey paw pressed to his mouth instantly silenced the flustering Fox as Judy raised her paw to shut Nick up. His eyes widened at the gesture, as did his ears perk up high in reaction, immediately bringing his attention back to his Bunny…
Nick saw her clearly. Judy's ears had lowered behind her head, and her eyes were locked to his. His heartbeat quickened at the sight… at the way those luminous lavender eyes seemed to shimmer with love, but also… a hint of lust;
"Nick… It's not weird…" Judy soothed.
Slowly, Nick lifted his paw to take Judy's away from his lips, asking sincerely;
"Why not?"
"Because… I do love you," Judy answered, "And that's all that matters… I've seen you at your worst, I've seen you at your best, just as you've seen me at both too, and… you've always been there for me. We've been there for each other," she looked away briefly, recollecting her thoughts before she looked back at her Fox, "And I think I can say as well that you are one of the best things to ever happen to me,"
"Only one of?" Nick curiously raised an eyebrow.
"Well… you're definitely up there in my top three," the Rabbit grinned.
"Charming Carrots," Nick exclaimed with fake sadness, placing his paw up to his chest, "you wanna give me another cardiac arrest?"
"Kidding!" Judy gasped, grabbing his paw away with both her own, "Of course you're number one…" she paused as she leaned up, now wrapping both her arms round the back of Nick's neck to embrace him, stopping just an inch from his muzzle with that warm smile gracing her lips, "So, hear me out when I say it's not weird… nor will it ever be…"
"Not in the slightest," Nick lulled… his smile matching hers as he gently moved to embrace his Bunny, with a soft paw on her waist, and another on her upper back…
For a moment, the two of them remained there locked in their embrace, feeling each other's warmth, taking in each other's scent, as they once again stared lovingly into each other's eyes.
Until, Nick broke the silence, finally saying in person, the three simple words he had been longing to say to Judy all day;
"I love you,"
It was all he said, and was all he needed to say, as Judy was quick to respond with the four words he'd been longing to hear after saying his own three;
"I love you too,"
And without a moment to spare, the Fox and Rabbit leaned into each other, closing their eyes and quickly closing the gap between them when they finally pressed their lips together in a sweet and tender kiss…
It was unlike either of them ever imagined. It certainly wasn't Nick or Judy's first kiss of their lives. The two of them had their own share of past experiences.
But this was nothing like that. This was different; because it was their first kiss with each other, and it was…
Better… so much better. Better than the two of them could have imagined.
It was an odd feeling, but a nice feeling… warm, almost electric in a way. Like a warm tingling sensation spreading through both of them in their kiss. But if someone asked either of them what it was like, they couldn't begin to explain. It was simply indescribable, simply… amazing.
It started with just that first simple peck on the lips… but after such a feeling of pleasure and bliss, Nick and Judy lost themselves to each other, pressing further into the kiss as the rest of the world seemed to fade away into silence and their sense of smell was left full and besotted with the other's scent. They pulled each other closer, diving further into the embrace and never once allowing their lips to separate as they grappled.
Nick pushed his lower arm further round the back of Judy's waist, feeling her sleek, slender form in his grasp, while his other arm lifted to allow his paw to caress the back of her head, as well as stroke her uninjured ear…
Each ruffle of the fur on her ear sent another pleasurable tingle around Judy's body. She pulled at Nick's ruff on the back of his neck, as if trying to get even closer to him, even though that would be nearly impossible as their embrace grew tighter; Judy was only one step away from wrapping her legs around him. She just felt so safe in Nick's arms, the kiss so sweet and passionate. She didn't want it to end… neither of them did. It just felt so right, so blissful.
And if that wasn't enough… even if they themselves were lost to reality, it was in that same moment of searing passion that even the world around them seemed to bless their union, as the rain ceased to fall, and a haze of heavenly sunlight finally cut through the vast canvas of grey clouds still in the sky to shine upon the Fox-Bunny couple, now sharing their tender kiss underneath the radiant warmth of the sun…
And everything, truly felt right with the world.
At least until the kiss got a little to… vigorous, prompting a physical reminder of their experience of the day when a shot of pain coursed through both of them, having grazed a blemish from any one of their many injuries…
With almost simultaneous gasps, Nick and Judy partially retreated from each other… also leaving them slightly out of breath when they disconnected from their kiss, and were instantly back to gazing at one another, only now with their wet fur glistening under the shining sunlight upon them.
"-Think… maybe after hospital we can get more into that," Nick grinned.
"Deal," Judy approved instantly, and then lifted her paw to pull Nick's muzzle towards her own, "Now shut-up, and do it again,"
"Whatever the Bunny wan-"
Nick didn't even get to finish his sentence before Judy attacked his muzzle again, pretty much knocking him backwards when her lips crashed into his once more… although there was no hesitation from him when Nick instantly re-wrapped his arms tightly around his beautiful Bunny again. It didn't take too long before it turned quite vigorous like their first kiss, only furthering the thought in both their heads at how much of this sexual tension had been building up between them since they became friends. Clearly, there was quite a lot. But that was history now, their history, and in the end, had led up to this very moment.
For another interminable amount of time, the Fox and Rabbit engaged in their second intensely passionate kiss and loving embrace…
And it was just as amazing as the first… and they both hoped, the first of many.
…
The only reason it ever ended was because as all living mammals did, they still needed to breathe.
Instead, after separating their lips and catching their breath, Nick lowered his muzzle, allowing Judy to reach him easier when they gently began to nuzzle… the as equally affectionate thing from a kiss for two mammals in love, whilst still keeping their arms wrapped around each other.
They remained there for another long while, until Nick couldn't help the comment slip out when he felt Judy's paw fall from his neck and rummage underneath his frayed open shirt to touch his still exposed chest fur;
"Hmm… would you look at that," he stated amusedly, "First kiss, and second kiss… and you've already got my shirt off- OW!"
The sudden yelp came from the Fox when Judy had expected the comical comment from him as soon as Nick opened his mouth, and had sneakily grabbed the edge of one of the adhesive electrode pads from the automated defibrillator that were still placed on Nick's chest… and swiftly yanked it off, tearing out only a few strands of fur.
"All in good time Nick," Judy purred with a cocky grin, whilst she placed her paw on the other electrode pad, preparing to yank it off, "there's still one more to come off…"
"Heh… sly Bunny,"
"Dumb Fox,"
Judy's grin grew wider as she grabbed the edge of the pad;
"Ready?"
"Err…" Nick began unsurely, with a slight grimace on his muzzle, "Just, be gentle with me- OW!"
Another yelp escaped his maw when the adhesive pad was ripped from his chest, again, only pulling out a few strands of fur with it.
Judy was about to throw it away, but was halted when- unlike the last one, the pad had decided to upturn and stick to her paw, causing her to flippantly shake it. It gave Nick some amusement as Judy glanced back at him awkwardly, before she quite abruptly ripped the pad from where it had stuck to her paw, now pulling out a few strands of her own fur that Nick swore he heard her squeak a little 'ouch' before throwing it behind her…
"Not so nice, is it?" Nick joked.
"I thought those sticky pads were supposed to come off fur easier… but-" Judy paused as she sniggered, turning back to her Fox, "that wasn't so bad, right?"
Nick was half scowling, half smirking as he rubbed the part of his chest where the pad was previously attached;
"Not really…" he said calmly, "just the blueberry on top after everything else today…" he chuckled, "but I should have known your definition of gentle is: not very gentle at all,"
"Come on Nick," Judy hummed, leaning up to hug him again, "you know me better than that,"
"Course I do," Nick lulled.
Once again, the Fox and Rabbit entered into another lovable staring contest. Judy watched her Fox as that adoring warm smile from earlier appeared once more on his muzzle, and she was quite sure she could never get enough of it. She was overcome with the urge to hug him again, and practically launched herself at Nick despite already having her arms wrapped around him. A short 'oof' came from the Fox when the Rabbit grappled him, although Nick was quick to wrap his arms around her as Judy buried her face into the uncut side of his neck while he nuzzled the top of her head, and stroked her uninjured ear.
"You owe me a new pen by the way," Judy's muffled voice suddenly spoke out, proceeding to pull away slightly to speak clearer, and relinquishing an arm from the hug so as to pull out the tapered orange plastic that was her carrot pen, "because you know I'm never using this one ever again,"
"You're not seriously keeping that message are you?" Nick mused.
"Give me one good reason to not," Judy smirked.
Nick knew the reason why: he made that message when he still thought he might die today… but he wasn't going to tell Judy that. It was more than likely that she had already assumed that, considering he had effectively died after giving Judy what would have been the last thing he ever said to her… even though he was later brought back from the dead. Nevertheless, Nick understood wholeheartedly why she would like to keep it, being his first official confession that he loved her. It warmed his heart that she actually wanted to save both the pen and the message it held as a memento even after he had now said the same words to her in person…
Though that didn't mean he couldn't toy with her a little.
It took Judy by surprise this time as Nick leaned down and hugged her, closed his eyes and began nuzzling her and gently tickling her with one paw, while the other tried to reach for the pen behind her back.
"Nick..." Judy drawled embarrassingly, though his wondering paw didn't go unnoticed to her, "wai- are you just trying to steal the pen? Is that what this is?"
"Hmmm?" the Fox hummed with a wide closed-mouth smile.
"Hey, stop!" Judy giggled as the tickling and nuzzling got more energetic, "Nick!"
"Alright… I'll let you keep it Carrots," he mouthed, pulling away and releasing his Bunny, still keeping that wide smile on his muzzle, "But you don't need it to remind you that I love you if that's why… I'll be sure to say it every day,"
"Aww, Nick…" Judy beamed, instantly hugging him again, "I love you too… always will,"
Nick hummed as Judy embraced him, feeling her warmth when he leaned down and whispered to her;
"My Bunny,"
"My Fox," the muffled reply came back…
And for now, the two of them just cuddled… during which, Nick thought about the comment Fang had made earlier during their heart-to-heart talk in the church, when the Wolf had said he and many other officers at the precinct thought the Fox and Bunny were already a couple.
Nick saw it now; how he and Judy acted with each other. Even now they were effectively a couple, they didn't sound like a couple who had just got together. The way they acted, the things they said to each other… It sounded like he and Judy had been a couple for years.
Heck… maybe they had, Nick thought. That realisation made him chuckle inside his head, as he glanced down to see Judy nuzzling into his chest fur and quietly purring. That sent another silent chuckle around his head, though this time it was rife with cuteness… enough so, that Judy would give him a solid punch if he had sniggered out loud, though after spending so much time with her, Nick had found ways around the, 'c' word. What he did do now however, was lower his muzzle and place a soft kiss on her head.
Judy looked up at him once he pulled away, the two of them entering yet another intimate staring contest-
Only, their attention was finally brought back to the reality of the world around them, when the sound of the ambulance siren they had both been blotting out of their heads finally stopped as the vehicle pulled up by the group of Police officers just down the bridge, and at least two paramedics stepped out.
"Guess our ride is here" Nick stated.
"Took long enough…" Judy commented, the slightest tone of distaste in her voice at the fact the ambulance should have gotten here a long time ago. Although, she didn't hold that thought for long. It simply took one of Nick's quips to cheer her up…
"Oh hey… Look at that!" the Fox suddenly spoke out, having checked at the cracked screen of his watch, and just about made out the time on the display, "all wrapped up before twelve," he turned to Judy with a grin, "so whaddya wanna do this afternoon?"
Judy laughed at the question, but was quick to respond with the most realistic option, as it was a necessity for both of them;
"I think we still need to go to hospital, Nick," she said sensibly, but matched his grin.
"Really?" the Fox's grin grew wider, "Because I was thinking we could go out some place… Catch a movie? Go for a meal, a drink… you know? Something simple,"
Judy smiled at the idea, loving the opportunity to just spend some time together with her fetching Fox, even though she knew Nick was playing around. He was quite aware he needed to go to hospital, even more so than she did. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Judy leaned up and placed a peck on his uncut cheek;
"Maybe we can do that when we're both not covered in blood… and bruises,"
Nick quickly looked over himself… and Judy, coming to the very quick conclusion that the two of them were certainly not presentable in their current state;
"Err, yea… good point," Nick conceded, although quickly put his smirk back on and cuddled his Bunny, "But, I still didn't hear a 'no',"
"Nick…" Judy droned.
"Alight!" Nick laughed, "I suppose a morphine drip, some antibiotics and a scratchy hospital bed will have to do for now, huh?" he paused so as to gaze at the Rabbit in his arms, "Though I think anywhere with you is the place I want to be,"
"Why, Nicholas Wilde…" Judy started sarcastically, "Who knew you were such a romantic?"
"Get to know me Carrots, I'm amazing," the Fox winked.
"I do know you… That's why I'm rolling my eyes," Judy responded, as she did indeed roll her eyes, but keeping on the sarcastic smirk-
To which, Nick knew exactly what to say to, as he had said it so many times before… putting on his own smirk, partially narrowing his eyes and saying;
"You know you love me,"
"Do I know that?" Judy pondered, bringing a finger to her lips whilst looking up in thought, before gazing back at her Fox, "Yes… yes I do," she then thrust her paw to Nick's mouth to stop him saying anything as she continued, still with that smirk on, "and, you know you love me too,"
Nick gently pulled her paw away;
"Do I know that?" he pondered, looking up in thought whilst holding Judy's paw, before gazing back at his Bunny, and placed a kiss on her forehead;
"Yes… Yes I do."
…
Then, the Fox and Bunny leaned into each other once more, sharing one last tender kiss: a simple short peck on the lips, before the paramedics came over to them with the full size stretcher from the ambulance… easily large enough for Nick and Judy to share. They both laughed off the fact they were already 'sharing a bed' when the paramedics greeted them and helped them onto the stretcher. As quick as they came, they took the Fox and Bunny to the ambulance, meanwhile Nick and Judy simply just held paws, thankful that this terrible day was over…
The job was done. The city was saved. The bad guys were defeated. And most importantly, the Fox got the Bunny… though most certainly not in the primal sense.
It had been a long time coming: three years of working on the Force together, but Nick and Judy had finally declared their love for each other… and it only took preventing a bio-terrorist attack and nearly losing each other forever in the process to persuade them into it. Now, after this most stressful day- their official first day on the ZPD SWAT Team, they couldn't possibly say this was the worst day of their lives… not after this. While at the ending of a very troubling time for Zootopia and its citizens, it was the beginning of something special for the Bunny/Fox cop duo…
Or at least, as soon as they'd had the once over from their doctors, and given the treatments they needed, because both of them- and a lot of their colleagues too, had not come out of this day unscathed. It would be a long road to recovery… a very long road. But at least Nick and Judy would be travelling it together, side by side, every step of the way.
And as soon as they were ready, the job would be there waiting for them… the two of them together, going off to do it all over again:
To solve the case. Catch the bad guys. May or may not rough them up a bit first depending on their cooperation. Bring them to justice. And as always, persevering to aid the citizens of the city they swore to protect and serve… gradually, day by day…
Helping to make the world a better place.
…
THE END
A/N: And there we have it, the final chapter- and also, the longest chapter too. I wasn't too sure on the use of Bogo's 'Dirty Harry' reference, but I decided to leave it in anyway because I liked it. I did only just finish and edit this chapter yesterday too, so some of it may not be perfect as such. However, I didn't want to wait any longer as today is my Birthday and so this upload is as much a present to myself that this story is finally finished as much as it is a gift to all of you wonderful readers, and I cannot thank you all enough for making it all the way here. It did seem right and fair that after all that action and drama, I gave you something nice to end on, as this fic has had a particular lack of WildeHopps fluff… that was the intention after all. So I hope this last chapter has finally quelled everyone's addiction, and for myself, I think it made it the most fun to write.
Overall, I know this fic has probably been a bit hard to follow, with the very short timeframe in the story and the long time it took to write and upload, and it most certainly went a bit off the rails and over-the-top…
But then again, this story was never meant to be anything more than a novelised action movie, including all of the clichés too. Not sure how well they all played out, but the idea always was: Good guys fight against unbelievable and unpredictable odds, beat the bad guys, save the city/world, but still get a bit bashed up along the way that may or may not include a near-death scene, and most importantly, if there's a romantic element, in the end the guy gets the girl or vice-versa… and that's it.
Nevertheless, this fic still ended up being a lot more of a story than I ever intended when I started writing it! Like, a lot more. I'd go on and explain but that would be wasting your time and mine. Point is, after 1 year, 1 month, 12 days and over 200,000 words later, we're finally at the end of Zootopia: THE RAID, and I hope it has been an absolute blast of a read that you would be proud to tell anyone about who loves Zootopia ;)
I will say now, I am planning on writing an epilogue of sorts, but I can't say for sure when that will be uploaded.
I would like to write for the fandom again… I have plenty of ideas that just won't stop coming, including my original story I was figuring out before writing this one, as well as several AU ideas. I sort of have a sequel in mind for this story, but it's a bit crazy and convoluted and doesn't make much sense that I may not pursue it. However, I can't say for certain if I will write up another story anyway. For now, I just need to take a break from writing, but my plan at the moment is to go back through this entire story and re-edit it. I can't imagine making any major changes, and then I will update it here, as well as start uploading it on AO3 as well… so if you are by any chance interested in reading again, I would hold off until after I've done that, because then you'll be reading a (hopefully) slightly better story, now that I know exactly where it's going.
In the meantime though, as this is the end of Zootopia: THE RAID, do me a solid if you haven't already, and hit that Fav and Follow button, and as well, do please leave a review… not just for this chapter, but for the story as a whole. There's lots of things I'd love to know your opinions on, like:
Who was your favourite good guy? (Besides Nick and Judy). Who was your favourite bad guy? What was your favourite "boss fight"? What was your favourite action scene overall? What was your favourite moment of the story altogether? And also, what were your least favourite moments that you think I could improve?
All questions I would love to hear your own answers for, but it's entirely up to you if you want to… I'm not forcing you to write a review. Though, unlike what I have done really since January, I will reply to each review this time, depending how many I get or how many guest reviews, I will either do it over PM's or write up a reply chapter like I did back in January. If it is over PM's however, those of you who I have had conversations with before will know not to expect me to be completely punctual, or my messages to be very short… as obvious by this ending authors "note", you can see I tend to go on… sorry about that! XD
Anyway, before I shut up and let you all get on with your lives, I would like to say a very big THANK YOU to each and every one of you. Seriously can't thank you all enough for simply reading and enjoying my story, and I'm hoping it remains as one of your memorable favourites ;) I am, again really sorry for my overuse of cliff-hangers. I do hope I didn't cause any heart attacks with some of the really bad ones… sorry! Overall… just, thanks. That's all I can say, over and over again: thanks. As long as you all enjoyed reading this story, I'm glad :)
Right… that's it from me, if you've made it all the way through this authors note: congratulations! I'll let you go now! XD Hopefully you've got a review to write… Yes? No? And I am sure you've all got stuff to do and other stories to read or write… so, until next time you wonderful lot!
-14sleepyhead09
Or, just call me Sleepy ;)
…
PS. Before I forget, as I did originally base (the first half of) this fic from the plot to the film, even though I made some very considerable changes, go and watch 'THE RAID'. It is quite simply one of the greatest action films out there, and you will love it if you love a good action film.
I shouldn't have to tell you the same to go and watch Zootopia… because why else would you be here? XD